Trump claims millions voted illegally, costing him popular vote

In a series of tweets, President-elect Donald Trump has made the unfounded claim that millions of people voted illegally in the US election, costing him the popular vote.

The tweets, made from Trump's official account on Sunday, appear to be in response to efforts led by Green Party candidate Jill Stein to recount votes in Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania.

Trump won the three states by a small margin.

"In addition to winning the Electoral College in a landslide, I won the popular vote if you deduct the millions of people who voted illegally, "Trump tweeted. "It would have been much easier for me to win the so-called popular vote than the Electoral College in that I would only campaign in 3 or 4-- states instead of the 15 states that I visited. I would have won even more easily and convincingly (but smaller states are forgotten)!"

In addition to winning the Electoral College in a landslide, I won the popular vote if you deduct the millions of people who voted illegally